Parents from Chorley jailed for child cruelty (From Chorley Citizen)

Parents from Chorley jailed for child cruelty

5:27pm Wednesday 27th February 2013 in News

Parents who subjected their three children to systematic cruelty in a ‘toxic’ home atmosphere have been jailed for a total of six-and-a-half years.

A judge said the victims had no respite – and had not even been able to find comfort in the company of each other because of a ‘divide and rule’ culture in the household.

As a result, they were lonely, unloved, neglected and beaten.

Preston Crown Court had heard a series of claims regarding a daughter and two sons, including strangling, being stabbed with a dirty needle, being hit with a belt, pulled around by the hair, having a knife held to the throat and being made to stand outside as a punishment.

The defendants, from Chorley, who are no longer together as a couple, cannot be named in order to protect the identities of the children.

The mother was found guilty of four counts of child cruelty and the man of five charges. She was given three years in jail, while her ex was jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Judge Pamela Badley, said: “Both of you behaved with cynical and deliberate cruelty towards them, playing out your own war of attrition.

“Both of you, while denying the charges, sought to blame each other and again and again, you sought to turn the evidence to your own advantage.

“I find that you were both systematically cruel to the children in both a physical and a psychological sense, with very frequent ill treatment.

“It was the day-to-day cruelty and the lack of concern for the children which was the most shocking in this case.

“The children were not able find comfort in the company of each other because of the divide-and-rule culture by each of you to ensure each were kept in their places by being lonely, unloved, neglected and beaten.”

James Burke, representing the mother, said she had a background involving abuse. She had suffered ‘extraordinarily’ as a young woman. This had led to her suffering a complete breakdown.

Jo Shepherd, for the man, said: “He has reflected during his term in custody. He accepts the deficiencies in his parenting style.

“He accepts he failed his children. He is hoping to rebuilding relationships with his children, should they wish to later on in life.”